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Abstract Predicting the course of kidney disease in individuals with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant clinical and policy challenge. In several regions, DM is now the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The aim of this study to identify both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, along with clinical markers and coexisting conditions, that increase the likelihood of stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) development in individuals with type 2 DM in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This was a single-center retrospective cohort study based on data derived from electronic medical records of UAE patients with DM who were registered at outpatient clinics at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, UAE, between January 2011 and December 2021. Type 2 DM patients aged ≥ 18 years who had serum HbA1c levels ≥ 6.5% were included in the study. Patients with type 1 DM, who had undergone permanent renal replacement therapy, who had under 1 year of follow-up, or who had missing or incomplete data were excluded from the study. Factors associated with diabetic patients developing stage 3–5 CKD were identified through Cox regression analysis and a fine and gray competing risk model to account for competing events that could potentially hinder the development of CKD. A total of 1003 patients were recruited for the study. The mean age of the study cohort at baseline was 70.6 ± 28.2 years. Several factors were found to increase the risk of developing stage 3–5 CKD: advancing age (HR 1.005, 95% CI 1.002–1.009, p = 0.026), a history of hypertension (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.032–2.8, p = 0.037), a history of heart disease (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.16–1.92, p = 0.002), elevated levels of serum creatinine (HR 1.006, 95% CI 1.002–1.010, p = 0.003), decreased levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (HR 0.943, 95% CI, 0.938–0.947; p

Urban farming has gained popularity in recent years, as more people have become interested in locally grown food and reducing their carbon footprint. Smart hydroponic systems can be an important tool for urban farming as they allow for precise control over plant growth and require less space and resources than traditional farming methods. Urban areas often lack access to land suitable for farming, making hydroponic systems a viable option for growing crops in limited space. Readily available hydroponic systems in the market are costly and not cost effective, thus hydroponic systems are usually only installed in larger scale farming. The challenge here is to connect multiple low-cost sensors to microcontrollers and to any store-bought hydroponic set. This paper describes the development of smart Internet of Things (IoT) hydroponic system integrated with an Android mobile application for small scale urban farming.The new set up of IoT hydroponic set, coined as SMART GROW, is used to monitor and control various aspects of the system based on the basic parameters important in growing a healthy plant. The challenges faced during this build were irregular reading of the analog sensor when connected to a single board microcontroller (ESP32). This issue was resolved. SMART GROW currently is capable of monitoring basic parameters such as pH, EC and water level and can cater to additional sensors for monitoring other parameters if required. SMART GROW can easily be replicated and built at home and customized to the needs of the plant’s requirement. SMART GROW is versatile as it can be used to grow a wide variety of plants, including herbs, vegetables, and fruits, and offers several benefits over traditional soil-based growing methods such as automated regulation of the water level.

This study examined Static-99R normative data and cross-cultural validity in a sample of 811 Aboriginal and 3257 non-Aboriginal Australian men (N = 4068) serving custodial orders for sexual offences in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Aboriginal men scored significantly higher on the Static-99R than non-Aboriginal men (M = 4.39 vs. 2.61) and were more likely to be represented in higher categories of risk. The Static-99R showed good discrimination performance for the total sample (AUC =.76; 95% CI = [.73–.80]) and acceptable calibration to expected reoffending rates for routine samples, with slight tendencies towards overestimation. Discrimination accuracy was lower for Aboriginal men (AUC =.68; 95% CI = [.60–77]) than non-Aboriginal men (AUC =.78; 95% CI = [.74–83]) although was significantly better than chance for both groups. Additional analyses indicated that cross-cultural differences in discrimination were partly associated with variance in sample composition between groups. This is the first Australian study to find evidence for significant predictive validity of the Static-99R with Aboriginal men, and while further research is needed, the results provide initial support for cross-cultural applications of the measure in local criminal justice settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the emerging Industry 4.0 paradigm, smart fabric sensors have been representing a novel addition to the textile industry. The proposed sensors utilize macro-bending techniques with varying fiber optic core sizes. The study involved the construction and testing of macro-bending sensors using single-mode (9 µm) and hetero-core (50-9-50 µm) fibers, configured into seven sinusoidal loops. The experiment was further extended to different types of elastic textiles. Spandex demonstrated superior linearity compared with jersey and rubber bands. The integration with the DOIT ESP32 DevKit facilitated real-time monitoring of respiratory rates. The results from the experiment indicated that the macro-bending sensor, fabricated using hetero-core optical fiber, exhibited superior sensitivity in comparison to the sensor assembled from single-mode optical fiber, with respective sensitivity values of 1.72 and 1.30 dB/cm. The designed sensors displayed closely aligned behavior during forward and reverse loading, indicating the reversibility of the fiber optic sensor. Given its simplistic design and low fabrication cost, the proposed sensor holds significant potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIn Singapore, dose-response bioassays of Aedes aegypti (L.) adults have been conducted, but the mechanisms underlying resistance to insecticides remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated insecticide resistance and its underlying mechanism in field populations of Ae. aegypti adults.MethodsSeven populations of Ae. aegypti were collected from public residential areas and assays were conducted according to WHO guidelines to determine their susceptibility to several commonly used insecticides.ResultsVarious levels of pyrethroid resistance (RR50 = 3.76 to 142.06-fold) and low levels of pirimiphos-methyl resistance (RR50 = 1.01 to 1.51-fold) were detected. The insecticide susceptibility profile of Ae. aegypti adults was homogenous among the different study sites. Addition of the synergists piperonyl butoxide, S,S,S,-tributyl phosphorotrithioate, and triphenyl phosphate generally failed to enhance the toxicity of the insecticides investigated, suggesting an insignificant role of metabolic-based insecticide resistance and possible involvement of target site resistance. Further biochemical investigation of specific metabolic enzyme activities provided further evidence that detoxifying enzymes such as mono-oxygenases, esterases, glutathione S-transferases and altered acethylcholinesterases generally did not contribute to the resistance observed.ConclusionsThis study confirmed the presence of pyrethroid resistance among Ae. aegypti adults in Singapore and documented the early onset of organophosphate resistance.